Mice and Rats

How to Remove Rats from Your Property

Trapping and poisoning will kill rats on your premises, but this is only one part of the solution, as rats will return if favourable conditions for existence persist. For complete extermination and protection against reinfestation, rats must be deprived of food and shelter.

Eating Habits

Rats eat practically all food. They also eat excreta, thus becoming a carrier of dysentery, diarrhoea and gastro-enteritis. Rats forage mostly at night, but if seen during daylight hours, the rat is very hungry possibly because of over population or because food is readily available.

Breeding Habits

The average number of rats per litter is 10 and under varying conditions, three to 12 litters may be produced by one female in a year. The young develop rapidly and at three or four months old commence to breed. Rats live for about four years, with a reproductive potential so great that almost 250,000 rats can be produced from one pair and their progeny in three years!

How to Deny Rats Shelter

Clear house and land of all rubbish and timber, or stack it at least 300mm above the ground.

Keep all grass cut short around your property.

Quickly repair any damage to wall linings to overcome entry of vermin.

How to Deny Rats Food

Place all food scraps in a container with a close fitting lid. If compost bins are used, keep the base of the bin clear of any vegetation and don’t throw meat or dog faeces into the compost bin.

Keep fowl yards clear of all waste products.

Keep poultry and animal food in metal bins with tight fitting lids.

Where there are fruit and nut trees, regularly clean up any fallen fruit or nuts.

If you do need to eradicate rodents from your property, bait is available from most supermarkets and hardware stores.